Information Anywhere Mobile IM

A new addition to the vendor's Information Anywhere Suite, Information Anywhere Mobile IM extends Enterprise Instant Messaging platforms for use on mobile, handheld devices; including those based on Windows Mobile, Palm OS, BlackBerry OS, or Symbian (see vendor for detailed handheld requirements). The platform supports multiple Enterprise IM platforms, including IBM Lotus Sametime, Microsoft Office Live Communications Server, Jabber XCP, Jabber Wildfire and Reuters Messaging; as well as public IM networks (via XMPP, the eXtensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) including Google Talk and Jabber.

The basic architecture of the platform is client/server; with the server being a Windows 2000 server or better machine (with access to SQL Server). The vendor states that the server can be deployed in a cluster of machines, and deployment is assisted via a Web-based administration/registration interface, site wizards, and "over-the-air" support, allowing end users to install the client directly from the mobile device. The vendor states that the platform is compatible with the other components of the Information Anywhere Suite (Afaria, OneBridge), as well as 3rd party security/auditing tools including Akonix, FaceTime and IMLogic.

From a functional standpoint, three primary services are provided by the platform: A messaging service, for the exchange of actual instant messages between users; a presence service, enabling users to see who is currently online/available; and a chat service, for the use of public or private virtual chat rooms (on BlackBerry or Palm OS only). Communications are protected via end-to-end 112-bit 3DES encryption, and both SASL authentication and authentication delegation through Active Directory are supported. Client features include access to multiple IM systems from a single client; contact management (add, drop, edit, group customization), inbound message alerts (audio, vibration), and support for time-stamped storage and retrieval of message history.

Finally, a monitoring tool is provided for administrators, offering both scheduling and alerting capabilities allowing the server to be monitored for status, with alerts triggered on failure detections. Both server operations and network connectivity can be monitored by the tool.

Information Anywhere Mobile IM is available now. Contact iAnywhere Solutions for further information.